Homily
for August 4, 2017
Once upon
a time, a native doctor set up his shrine very close to a Church. So, every day,
the members of the church would pray against the activities of the native doctor
asking God to send down fire on him and burn down his shrine. This went on for
many years.
One day,
the native doctor’s shrine burnt down completely and nothing was left of it. So
the native doctor decided to sue the entire church and its members to court
accusing them of burning down his shrine.
On the day
of judgment, the members of the church showed up in the court denying any hand in
the fire incidence. However the native doctor insisted they had burnt down the
shrine with their powerful prayers. Yet the church members said they were completely
innocent of the fire.
The judge
was completely baffled. In the end, he said: “Here is a case of an entire
church that does not believe in the power of prayers yet a so-called non
believer (native doctor) with complete faith in prayer.”
This story
shows us how we Christians can become so used to God that we suffer from over
familiarity or “see-finish” in pidgin.
The church
members prayed night and day for fire and when they eventually saw the fire,
they did not believe it was their prayers that God answered. They probably did not
expect God to answer their prayers and actually burn down the shrine. They were
prayer warriors without faith while the native doctor himself who seemed like
an enemy believed in the power of their prayers.
In our
Gospel passage, Jesus is not happy with his own people as a result of their
over-familiarity. They saw Jesus grow up right before their eyes and treated as
a commoner, an ordinary person, they even took offence at Jesus for addressing
himself as the Son of God.
Have I become
too familiar with God? Do I treat Holy Things as Holy? Do I still believe in the
power of prayers or am I just praying for the fun of it? Do I still have the fear
of God in me?
Do I invite
visitors to my church only for the visitors (non-believers) to be the ones telling
me to keep quiet in church? Am I hooked in a sinful life all because I take God
for granted? Do I value the Bible or treat it as just one of those books?
Today, we celebrate the life of the
priest Saint John Vianney. John struggled with his seminary studies, he lagged
behind when others were far ahead but God gave him second chances. Eventually,
we remember him today not because of his academic degrees, but because of his
simplicity, devotion and love for souls. He is the patron of Parish Priests.
Let us
pray: Lord Jesus, may I never take you for granted. Amen.
St. John
Vianney, Pray for us.
*Be Happy.
Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Friday of
the 17th week in Ordinary Time. Memorial of St. John Mary Vianney. Bible
Study: Leviticus 23:1-37 and Matthew 13:54-58).*
Fr. Abu.
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